US1096656A - Tower-wagon. - Google Patents

Description

-E. R. WHITNEY.

- Patented M1y12,1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

B.,R. WHITNEY.

TOWER WAGON.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.27, 1912.

7 Patented May 12,1914.

E. R. WHITNEY.

TOWER WAGON,

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 27, 1912.

Patented May 12, 1914.

. llin f a x; 1 a 7b 151.... 1% x T u I u m h H a? J 0 T b E E H S 4 E. R. WHITNEY.

TOWER WAGON.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 27, 1912. V

Patented May 12, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

EDDY '12.. WHITNEY, or rninnnmnm, PENNSYLVANIA, .sssionon rpamal am;

TRUCK COMPANY or AMERICA, orrmnnnnnrnm,

new or rnmvsvnvhum.

w tness trimming are lamps, with a novel means for mechanically raising and lowering its platform; it being particularly desired that the construction, while being relatively light and conveniently operative, shall be substantial, shall consist of but relatively few parts, a nd'shall not be likely to get out of order or require repair. 7

Another .object'of my invention is to provide a tower elevating mechanism including a motor-actuated screw, so mounted that under operating conditions it shall be in tension, while the apparatus as a whole shall be so placed as to be relatively near the center of gravity of the structure to which it is applled, although to one side of the center line thereof.

I also desire to provide a motor-actuated tower elevating mechanism with novel means for controlling its operation, either from the platform or from the body of the structure on which it is mounted; the arrangement of parts being such as to permitof the oonyenient control oft-he motor regardless of the position of the' adjustable.

platfornrcarrying structure.

These objects and other advantageousends I secure as hereinafter set forth, reference' being bad to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1, is a side elevation of a tower wagon constructed accordlng to my invention and showing the platform-carrying structure in its elevated position; Fig. 2, is-

a side elevation on an enlarged scale illustrating the detail construetion of the upper part of the tower and showing the platformcarrying structure in" its lowered position; Figs. 3, l, 5 and 6 are horizontal sections taken respectively on the lines aa, bb, 0-0, and (L -d, Fig. 2, the latter section beinginverted; Fig. 7 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale taken on the line ff,

' V Fig. 5; Figs. 8 and 9 are horizontal sections taken on the lines g-g and h k, Fig. 7; Fig. 10, is an inverted plan ofthe motor controlling'switch; Fig. 11, is a vertical see Speeification of Letters Eatent. Application fil ed August .27, 1 1 sen-a1 No. 717,264.

' vice preferably employed .by and rigidly fixed to the PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- TOWER-WAGON.

' Patented Ma -re, ieia.

tion on the line e-.-e, Fig. 10, and, Fig. 12 1s a veizt-ical section illustrating the detail construction of the screw suspending deas part of my invention. Y

In the above drawings, 1 represents the body-of my improved tower wagon which.

is provided'with a lower drivers seat 2, and is mounted on two pairs of wheels 3 and it. Through any' suitable mechanism (not shown) this wagon is driven from an else trio motor 5, receiving current from a storage battery lecatedin a box .6 mounted under the be y 1, 011 said body and preferably over the rear pair of wheels 4, is mounted the fixed portion 7 of the tower structure which consists of four rolled sections 7?, properly fixed to Said wagon body and trussed or braced together in any suitable manner so as to outline an open, up-

, wardly tapering frame on one side of which,

adjacent the top-thereof, is fixed an elevated drivers seat 8.

a The controller 9 for governing the operation of vthemotor-.5 is mounted on the foot boardLO of said elevated seatand by means of mechanism forming no part of the present invention, may be operated either from this seat ori'rom the lower drivers seat 2. The steering mechanism of the vehicle is likewise controllable from either of the two seats through steering wheels 11 and 12, while the brake mechanism is operative by means of foot levers 13 and 14 properly situated relatively to the seats 8 and 2 respectively, there also being a hand lever 15, whereby the brakes may also be set or released- This mechanism is fully described and claimed in an applicationfor U. S. patent, filed jointly by me and by Emlen S. Hare on May 2nd, 1911, Serial No. 624,587.

As shown in Fig.4, Within the upper part of the fixed tower structure 7 are mounted four vertically placed angle sections 16 forming guideways, and, in the present in stance, these are so arranged as to define ,a substantially square prism, being supported tower structure 7 so as to be substantially central thereof by bracing members Hand 18.

Vertically slidable within the guide-way provided by the angle sections 16 is the vertically movable part 19' formed of ion-r angle sections 1.9% latticed or otherwise'snitably braced together so as to out-line an elongated-figure of square section. On the upper end of this movalt e structure is, mounted a platform 20 which may be rotatable on For raising and lowering the movable.

tower structure 19-, I provide an electric motor 24 of suitable power, mounted in the lowerpart of the fixed tower structure 7 from which it is supported by suitable members 26 a nd 25, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6. Said motor is preferably so mounted that the line of its armature shaft is to one side of the 'central line of the tower structure and said shaft is operatively ponnectedto an elongated screw 27 hung from the upper part of the fixed tower structure, and engages a nut fixed to the movable structure 19 of said tower. For suspending said screw, I 'preferably provider the construction shown in Fig. 12, which includes a transverse member 28 in the form of a structu al section rigidly fixed to one side of the top of the fixed tower structure 7. Movably carried by this member is a hollow head in the form of a cup like casting 29 having a removable cap 30 and internally provided with anti-frictionblearings 31 on which rests a flanged collar 32. The screw 27 extends into the bottom of the socket casting 29 and is threaded into a collar 32, to which it is rigidly held by means ofa jam nut 33. The exterior contour of the casting-29 is such that it fits into the spherically curved socket recess in the member 28, thus making it possible for it with the screw to change its position in order to adjust itself to varia- I and the screw.

yoke is formed with upper and under bear-' tions in the relative positions of its supporting structure and the motor 24 without causing objectionable strains. A retaining collar 34 is preferably fixed to the neck portion of the head 29 which extends through the member 28, so as to prevent its accidental displacement.

The lower end of the screw is coupled to the armature shaft of the motor 24 through some form ofclutch or frictional connecting device such, for example, as that shown in detail in Figs. 7, 8 and 9. This device consists of a square 'dog 35 keyed or otherwise rigidly fixed to the end of the shaft-36 and fitting into a correspondingly shaped opening in the yoke piece 37 to form a slip joint for driving the same while permitting a limited vertical movement between the motor The upper end 38 of the ing surfaces and has a circular hole through which passes the square end 39 of the screw 27. The lower end ,of said -screw; is pro-- side there vided with aremovable head 40 and it also has an annular shoulder 41 a short distance above the upper end 38 of the yoke 37. Between said shoulder and said yoke I mount a metallic washer 42 and a leather or fiber washer 43, the latter being in contact with .the 'upper bearing surface of the yoke. A second leather or fiber washer 44 is in engagcment with the under bearing surface ,of the yoke, toward which it is pipssed by a spring 45 confined between the head 40 and a second metallic washer 46.

The screw 27 is operatively connected to the movable part 7 of the tower structure through a nut 47 which consists of an elongated cylindrical casting containing a body of Babbitt or other bearing metal 48 formed with a hole through. it threaded for the reception of said screw. Said nut is provided with a pair of oppositely disposed trunnions 49 for the reception of the two arms of the forked end of an equalizing member 50 whose opposite end is in the form of a spindle 51 rotatably fitting into a suitable bearing in that side of the movable tower structure 19 opposite that to which the screw 27 is adjacent. In order that the upward thrust. of the nut shall be equally divided between t'he two opposite sides of said structure 19, the-member 50 is connected to that bf adjacent the screw, by means of a bolt 52 whose head has a spherically curved portion 53 fitting intoa correspond ingly formed socket or recess in the upper face of said member 50. The lower end of the bolt has a nut-and a second spherically curved bearing piece 55 fitting into a correspondingly formed recess in the under face of a bar or plate 56 fastened to and forming part of the movable tower structure 19. As a result of the use of this equalizing member 50, the raising force is applied to the movable part 7 of the tower structure in such a manner that this latter does not tend to jam in its guide ways or tilt materially from a' vertical position. By reason of the par-' ticular design of this member as shown in detail in. Fig. 7, the tendency of the movable tower structure to fall over toward the upper part of the screw 27 is equalized by the downward force exerted by the end 51 of the equalizing bar, which, because of its peculiar mounting, is free to adjust itself to suit any the tower structure by reason of a weight at any part of theplatform 20.

For controlling the operation of the motor 24, I provide a suitable switch 57, which, while it may be of any suitable construction, preferably includes a rotatable member 58 carrying contacts and in the present instance keyed or otherwise fixed to a shaft59 of square section extending centrally of the fixed and movable tower structures. The lower end of said shaft, below the switch 27,

side strains which may be set up in some interior section, designed to receive within it the shaft 59 and to telescope with the same, This tube 61 is rotatabl carried by said platformso as not to inter 'erewith the rotation thereof and is' provided with an operating handle 62, whereby it and therefore the shaft 59, may be rotated to actuate the switch 57; The movable switch member 58' is provided with a suitably toothed ratchet 63 in dicated' in dotted lines in F 10, and acotiperating pawl 64, whereby it is removably held in itself position or in either of two operating positions corresponding to forward and reverse operation of the motor,

as may be desired.

Under conditions of'usethe movable tower structure with its platform 20 may be raised by causing operation of the motor 24 through the agency of the switch 37 which may be actuated from the body 1 of the vehicle by means of the handle 60, or from the platform 20 by the handle .62. In anyvv case the telescopic parts 59 and 61 maintain an operative connection between the handle 62 on the platform and the movable switch member 58, so that a person on the platform can conveniently govern its position.

' vV hen the motor armature is turned, power is transmitted from the shaft 86 to the yoke 37, and. by reason of the frictional engagement of the upper and lower bearing surfaces of its end 38 with the washers 43' and 44, the screw 47 likewise is turned. Should the latter jam for any reason, or turn with such d'ifliculty as to impose anabnormal load on the motor 24, the clutch provided by the yoke 37 and the washers 43 and 44, would slip, since the spring 45 would yield sufii cientlyto permit such action under prede: termined abnormal conditions. Of course, when the load is again returned to its nor- 1 mal amount, power is transmitted through said clutch and drives the screw as desired. ()bviously, the rotation of the screw 47 in the proper direction, through the medium of the nut 27 and the equalizing member 50, causes an upward. movement of the movable tower structure 19 with its platform, while a reverse operation of the motor, as determined by the manipulation of the switch 57, would cause lowering of the said parts. The possibility of injurious lateral strains being put on the screw or its associated parts, is reduced to aminimum owing to the ball and socket connections between the upper end of said screw and the beam 28 by which it is connected to the fixed tower structure, and also to the trunnion connection between the equalizing bar 50 and the nut 47, as well as to the universal connection between the said bar and the said movable towenstructure.

. it is to be notedithatrsince'the screw is hung by its upper endfrom the fixed: tower structure it is not onlyin tension under operating conditions, but Ill'SilTBlglltalS. carried Independently of 'the Imotoriwhich-zis'. supt-ower structure. I claim: I 1

1. The combination .ofia fixed tower structure; a movable tower structure telescoping therewith; and means for, raising and lower ing said movable tower'lstr'ucturelonthefixed screw driven thereby' -and mounted: toone side of the center line ofsa dtower 'strucstructure, the. same/includingla motor, a v

tures; with means for#maintaining'. said screw in tension under operating conditions.

2. The combination of a fixed tower structure; -a movable tower structure; and means for raising and lowering said movable tower structure, the sameincluding a screwlhung from the upper part of the fixed tower structure and operatively connectedto the movable tower-structure; with a'motor for driving said screw. z i

3. The combinationjof a fixed'to-wer structure; a movable tower structure; and means for raising and lowering saidlmova-ble tower structure; the same including a screw ad j ustab ly connected to the upper part of the fixed tower structure and operatively con nected to the movable tower structure; with a motor for driving the screw.

4. The combinationof a two part tower structure; and means for raising and lowering one of the parts of said structure relatively to the other, the same consisting of a motor; a screw driven therefrom and independently carried on one of the tower parts, the screw being hung from its upper end and means for operatively connecting said screw -to the second tower part.

The combination of a two part tower structure; and means for raising and lowering one of the tower parts relatively to the other; the same consisting of a motor and a screw connected to said motor and suspended from one of the tower parts; frictional con necting means between said screw and the motor; and a nut carried by the movable tower part in engagement with the screw.

6. Tit-e combination of a two part tower structure made in two telescoping parts; a screw mounted on one of the tower parts and extending in a vline parallel to the line of movement of the other part; a motor for actuating the screw; and means for connecting the screw to the other tower part con-- sisting of a nut operative on said screw; with a member movably connected to said second tower part and trunnioned to the nut.

7. The combination of a two part tower structure; and means for raising and lowering one part of said structure relatively to the other, the same consisting of an equaliz ing bar mounted on one part of the tower structure; a nut carried b said equalizing bar; a screw carried on tie other part of the .tower structure to one side of the 'center line thereof and in engagement with said nut; and a motor for driving the screw.

8. The combination of a two part tower structure; and means for raising and lowerin g one part of the tower structure relatively to the other, the same consisting of a screw; a ball and socket jointfor suspending said screw from the top of one part of the tower structure; a motor connected to the screw;

a nut on the screw; wit-h means for movably tively to the other, consisting of a motordriven screw mounted to oneside of the center line of the tower structure; a nut engaging said screw; an equalizing bar trunnioned to the nut and rotatably mounted on one part of the tower structure; with a tension member also connecting said bar to said part of the tower structure.

11. The combination of a two-part tower structure; and means for raising and lower ing one part of the tower structure relatively to the other, the same consisting of a motordriven screw mounted to one side of the center line of the tower structure; a nut engagin said screw; an equalizing bar trunnioned to the nut and rotatably mounted on one part of the tower structure; with a tension member also connecting said bar to said part of the tower structure and having a a EDDY R. WHITNEY.

Witnesses VVILLIAM E. BRADLEY, \VM. A. BARR.

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